How to Deal with Stress

A survey by TalentSmart showed that 90 percent of top performers know how to manage their emotions in times of stress so that they remain cool, calm, and able to do what needs to be done.

That’s an important lesson in and of itself for all of us – because all of us experience stress in our lives. Research has shown that some stress is good for us: it helps us perform at optimal levels. Too much stress, however, can have serious psychological and physiological repercussions.

Since we can’t necessarily avoid most stress – especially in our work environments – it’s to our benefit to learn how to deal with it, and learn from the examples of those who are already successful.

According to surveys and other research, successful people have some strategies in common when it comes to managing stress.

I have often found that the best way to move a small business forward is to focus on the process and not the results. Although the results are really all that matter, you cannot control those. Instead what you can control is the process. If you continually do the right things in the right market, then things will turn out well. If, instead, you focus on results, then many times you “get lucky” by getting an order. This leads to a bad culture of cutting corners, which then turns into a long road of not really understanding what matters in the business and many times a very painful experience when one of the “lucky” customers leaves for a competitor.

Here is a good list of the 10 traits of successful people:

1. They Work Extremely Hard

Successful people understand that without hard work you get nowhere in life. They know the basic science of life: your input will equal your output. They don’t depend on luck to get them anywhere, they depend on their skills and ambition to get them to where they want.

2. They Are Incredibly Curious And Eager To Learn.

Most people are stubborn; they don’t like to learn or explore new things and are very narrow-minded. Successful people are the complete opposite. They are very open-minded and are always studying something new, learning and constantly asking questions so that they can find out more information.

3. They Network.

Your network is your net worth, as the good old saying goes. They don’t have to be the life of the party or the loudest one in the room. In fact they are usually quiet because they move in silence rather then being too loud.

4. They Work On Themselves And Never Quit!

Peasants are stagnant, they never grow and they get very comfortable with where their life is. The truly successful people are the ones that are always working on themselves and their lives.

5. They Are Extraordinarily Creative.

There are those who just accept everything in life and don’t like change and then there are successful people who like to question the status quo and change things that are too consistent. They go around asking, “Why not?” They see new possibilities and opportunities where others see problems.

6. They Are Self-Reliant And Take Responsibility.

Many people will find things to shift blame towards or find excuses as to why they are not successful so that they can make themselves feel better about the situation. Incredibly successful people don’t worry about blame, and they don’t waste time complaining. They make decisions and move on.

7. They Are Usually Relaxed And Keep Their Perspective.

Even in times of stress or turmoil, highly successful people keep their balance. They breathe easy, ask the right questions, and make sound decisions, even in a crisis. They understand that when you let emotions get in the way of something, that’s when it all goes down hill.

8. Extremely Successful People Live In The Present Moment.

They know that “now” is the only time they can control. Successful people don’t waste time; they use it! They understand that the past is the past and they have learned from it. The future is what will happen when they are exceling in their present.

9. Repeatedly Successful People Respond Instantly!

When technology, a new competitor or a change in the economic situation requires an adjustment, successful people are the first and quickest to respond. They understand that time is everything…and that things need to happen fast.

10. Successful People Never Quit

Most people in today’s world will walk away from something because they find it too hard, whereas successful people love challenges. They understand that if it were easy, they wouldn’t want it and sacrifice it all to defeat the challenge at hand.